This website is a wonderful resource for teachers. Some of the highlights include video footage from Bill Nye, episode guides for 100 shows, questions and answers, instructions for at-home learning fun, directions to make some unique science crafts and some very interesting science facts. The site requires FLASH. Some downloadable directions use Acrobat Reader. Get them from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom

If showing your class a Bill Nye video, the episode guides will help to organize the lesson. Students may enjoy simply surfing the site, some very interesting facts are displayed! Don't forget to check out the "home demos" for some new ideas. This is a great site to include as a general enrichment link from your teacher web page. Hook some young scientists!

This information-packed site focuses on calendars through the ages. It includes sections on the astronomy of calendars (e.g. moon cycles), the history of calendars, differences among various international calendars, derivation of the names of the months, and loads of other trivia about calendars.

In the Classroom

Lots of great stuff for "did you know?" discussions or as an extension of a study of timelines and other graphic organizers of information. A few interesting visuals, but the strength of this site is in its information. Might be a good source for monthly bulletin boards or an enrichment area for gifted students.

NASA's venerable shuttle is back at work, this time doing supply and repair work on the International Space Station. Consider this mission home page as a way to help introduce a new generation to the wonders, complexities, and scientific possibilities of space flight. Besides, space walks are just plain cool - so this is science in which your students will be interested!

What happens when you try to boil water in space? While it sounds trivial, the issue of working with liquids in zero-gravity environments has implications for space exploration and travel. It's just an idle question. This site explains the problems and what scientists are trying to do to manage it.

What makes a planet a planet...and how many are there...really? This series of entertaining videos takes a look at a fascinating discovery at the far end of our solar system and raises some interesting astronomical questions.

In the Classroom

These videos provide a great opportunity for incorporating writing and reflecting into your science curriculum. After viewing the presentations, ask students to summarize what they have learned and generate one additional question they would like to ask of the scientists.

Choose from three different ways to "map the sky" at a specific location on earth with this interactive planetarium site. Select from sky map, horizon view, or virtual telescope (with custom setting available). Just enter the desired time, date, location (latitude and longitude), and viewpoint. A great site for "viewing" the constellations - in your part of the world or some distant venue - from your classroom.

Experience a Martian dust storm, comet collisions, supernova explosions, and black holes within the safety of the computer lab. This collection of video visualizations and informational descriptions provides an up-close and personal view of some of the universe's most fascinating events. The brief "movies" are organized into four categories - Solar System, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe.

March 10, 2006 marked the successful arrival of the Reconnaissance Orbiter to Mars. This site provides current details and pictures of the craft and will chronicle its exploration of the Red Planet over the next six months. Check back frequently for updated images and videos of the Martian exploration.

After seven years and nearly three billion miles of space travel, NASA's Stardust spacecraft is scheduled to return to earth on January 15, 2006. It will be carrying dust samples from a comet. The samples will be the oldest matter ever collected from space, dating to the origins of the universe. NASA's site offers background and information on the scientific significance of this mission.

This lesson unit from the National Park service offers a toolkit for learning about the space program of the 1960s. It introduces the formation of NASA and the evolution of Cape Canaveral, Houston's manned spaceflight center, and other installations. While there's a lot of material here, teachers will no doubt need to use some of their own creativity to mold it into something that fits local needs. This site would be a great addition to a study of 20th century explorers.

The launch of STS-114 marks the first space shuttle misson since the Columbia accident two years ago. This NASA site serves as home base for their multi-format coverage of the launch and flight, and there are loads of links from this page to content for various ages and interests.

This week, scientists at NASA managed to successfully crash a satellite into a passing comet. The result of the impact generated huge amounts of data about the content in the comet, much of which may have been around since the dawn of the universe. This site shows the images and describes the mission in detail.

This elegantly designed interactive quiz tests student knowledge of the planet Mercury. Students must move their mouse across the virtual sky to reveal questions hidden among clusters of stars. Feedback and additional facts are provided for each response.

Supplement an astronomy unit with the clever tools provided on this site. Students can take advantage of a variety of solar system calculations, watch animations of solar objects' orbits and simulations of the seasons, create a virtual solar system model, and much more.

Challenge students to build a virtual spacecraft with this impressive interactive site that focuses on exploration of the planet Mercury. Choose a level of difficulty, select a launch vehicle, and load it with the instruments needed to meet six vital mission goals while consider cost and available cargo space. This authentic problem-solving activity gives students an understanding of the complex process used by NASA to plan and organize a mission into space. Aligned to National Standards.

With the 15th anniversary of the hubble space telescope scientists have released a new set of stunning images of stars, galaxies, and other space objects taken with the remarkable space telescope. These are some of the richer digital treasures on the web.

This interactive, multimedia slide show introduces students to the solar system, gravity, stars, the Big Bang Theory, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Mini quizzes and click-and-drag activities test for understanding along the way. Includes a glossary and a feature that allows visitors to select settings for spoken and displayed text. Use as an anticipatory set or to review concepts at the end of a unit.

Discover the latest details about the Cassini-Huygens' mission to Saturn on this impressive site that includes a concise description of the spacecraft, recent news updates, and Web casts of some of the mission's exciting findings. Be sure to view the interactive tutorial on Saturn's rings and moons.

Read the latest news from Mars, take a panoramic peek at the red planet, and look at some amazing 3-D images of the Martian landscape (but you must provide the 3-D glasses). This nicely structured site by the Discovery Channel is loaded with things to explore and read about. Check out the FAQs and related NASA links for more in-depth information about space explorations.

There is SO much to see and do on this site! Click on one of three main topics (Our Planet, Our Solar System, or Astronomy and the Universe), choose one of three levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), and begin to browse through the rich collection of text, images, movies, animation, and more. Check out the array of interactive games, participate in a group on-line journal, or read some of the latest earth and space news. This is an excellent resource for earth and space science teachers and students. Also available in Spanish.